Google+ accounts are now being used for app reviews in the Play Store

If you do a lot of reviewing in the Google Play Store, either on the web or on your phone, a big change is coming your way today. Google has begun rolling out Google+ integration, ensuring that all users who review apps have a real identity tied to their persona.

How this will affect review quality is not yet certain but we hope, like adding real names to comments in blogs, it makes people a little more accountable. At the same time, it may allow developers down the road to seek out people users individually if they’re having a specific problem.

We like how Google is ensuring that Google+ is tied into all of its cross-platform services, but this seems a little too public for our tastes. Clicking on the person’s name or avatar takes you right into their public Google+ profile, which is clearly what the company wants.

This has also started rolling out to mobile, as you can see above. The integration seems pretty full-featured, though we can’t help but think this is just the first of many such Google+ tie-ins for Android.

Simple solution: Stop reviewing, pirate the app to try it, if you like it buy on the play store and support the developer.

nrj4life

Or make a fake G+ account.

jo

I only got my first Android smartphone a year and a half ago and already have over $200 in apps at the moment. I’ve always tried my best to share helpful reviews although I think this will be no more. I’m probably being paranoid, but a new way for people to stalk me on the Internet isn’t very enticing.

TheCK

Well, this should have been like this a long time ago.

Stuntman

I am going to be reluctant about reviewing apps on the Play Store. If I have an issue with an app, I can simply email the developer. Their contact info is available in the Play Store. They are already able to contact me on issues I have and have been very responsive. I do not see how my being forced to use my G+ account is going to make this better.

I say stop reviewing apps or staring them. Email the developers that you will no longer review or star apps unless Google no longer requires users to use the G+ account. That is the only way to make Google reverse its decision.

7-Down

I don’t get this. Don’t you clowns comment on web pages with Facebook Comments *with* your real name on it? Same thing here. What’s going to happen by using your real name? You clowns need to grow up.

Stuntman

I avoid commenting on sites that require a Facebook login and uses my real name. I much prefer sites that I can use a pseudonym or services like Disqus.

ToniCipriani

Tied to Google+… what if you haven’t activated it?

Although I did try changing the name on my Google account, it did pop up with the “Google+ name change restriction” policy, though I don’t even have Google+…

Stephen Colbert

This is a most unwelcome change, definitely won’t be reviewing any apps if my real name will be posted publicly. A real step in the wrong direction for privacy online.

Dan

There goes privacy. I don’t want ANYONE knowing what apps and games I’ve purchased or used unless I tell them directly in private.

I hope piracy rates increase and they go back to the anonymous rating system. Idiots.

Dan

@7-Down.

Were your parents on drugs when they named you that, or are you trying to keep your identity private online?

Oh, and your avatar looks like a celebrity….

Moron. Not everyone wants their life exposed online.

jonny

when they did that with reviews for buisnesses i stopped reviewing.

there is no way i am putting my name on the internet like that.

google is slowing turning into a company as evil as facebook.

drone

lol.. the irony of a commenter trying to be anonymous yet at the same time telling others to be accepting of the opposite practice.

Glitch

It’s funny how you all think anyone actually gives a s**t what apps you’ve bought, or that anyone wants to stalk you and your app reviews.

Christian

I’m all for this change, hopefully the trolls will stay away and keep their useless, uninformed reviews to themselves. No one seems to care about posting all over facebook with their real names, I fail to see how this is any different.

It does stop normal people who care even slightly about not having every dumb thing they post (like this!) showing up when somebody searches for their name in quotes.

Hell, ‘MA’ aren’t even close to my real initials.

(You just end up with many people dropping out and even more of an echo chamber. Although there’s also that whole “media people managing hundreds/thousands of fake personas in an attempt to sway public opinion” thing – obviously they keep posting.)

Slappy

Do no evil Google, do no evil.

Cell Hell

But I don’t want Google collecting more of my information and making it more public. I guess I won’t be reviewing anything.

I’m also thinking about making the jump to Blackberry in February… Google is getting too intrusive and seem to be attacking my privacy.

OverByter

While I don’t personally agree with it, I can understand why some people would have an issue with this change but explain how this leads to recommendations to software. How does stealing from a dev get back at or teach Google that you’re upset with the new policy? I don’t get the connection between them.